Common VoIP Fixes

A knowledgeable and pro-active small business owner will realize the most value of using a VoIP system. One of the driving factors to migrating to VoIP is the ability to send and receive faxes over the Internet; especially beneficial to businesses who make faxing a regular part of the office communications.

While most businesses elect to use software based faxing solutions, there still exist businesses who maintain their conventional fax machines. There may be complications when using an older fax machine with VoIP, certain adjustments can rectify this. The most common solution is to lower the Baud rate to 9600 and disable the error correction mode. It is important that the business VoIP provider supports the G7111 codec as this is the most commonly used codec with VoIP faxing.
Outside of faxing challenges, the most common pitfalls of VoIP and there most likely fixes are:

Missing Incoming Calls: This often occurs when the IAD is unable to register with the solutions provider. If there is a voicemail associated with the account then it is likely that the VoIP provider will route the calls directly to voicemail. The most appropriate solution for this, however, is a technology known as “Call forwarding upon the loss of registration.” When this technology is operational, all incoming calls will automatically be routed to a pre determined number in the event that Internet connectivity is lost.

No dial tone: If, when attempting to make an outgoing call, there is an absence of dial tone the first thing to do is make sure that the broadband Internet service has not been interrupted. If the Internet is ok, check for a light on the phone line indicator on the router. If there is no light, simply reboot the router. If the light is on, and not blinking, try to connect the phone directly to the router without any external devices or splitters. It may be necessary to replace the phone or phone cords.

Static noise: Static or buzzing sounds are generally the result of electrical interferences. It is important to make sure that cordless phones always have charged batteries. Moving away from other magnetic or electrical objects can also decrease static buzz.